Pressure vessel



June 3, 1947. 1

A. W. BRUCE ET AL PRESSURE VES SEL Filed July 21, 1945 INVENTORS Hffred W B/u e jag/ nes Par-finqfon ATT NEY Patented June 3, 1947 PRESSURE VESSEL V Alfred W. Bruce, New York, N. and James.

Partington,

East Orange,

N. J., assignors to American Locomotive Company, New York,

N. Y., a corporation of New York Application July 21, 1945, Serial No. 606,396

1 Claim. (01. 285-106) This invention relates to pressure vessels.

The object of the present invention is to provide a pressure vessel having a fixture with a flange welded in an orifice in a concavo-convex portion of the vessel wall, and a welded reinforcement for the wall at the orifice of a character to prevent the vessel being weakened by the orifice. l Referring to the drawing forming a part of thi application, Figure 1 is a sectional View, on the line II of Fig. 2, showing a portion of a pressure vessel constructed in accordance with this invention; Fig. 2 is a section on the line II-II of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an inverted plan of Figs 1; Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1, taken on the line IV-IV of Fig. 5, of another embodiment of the invention; Fig. 5 is, at the left, a section on the line V-V, and at the right, a section on the line V'V', of Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 1, taken, on the line VIVI of Fig. 7, of a further embodiment of the invention; and Fig. 7 is a section on the line VIIVII of Fig. 6.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 3, the-pressure vessel 1 has a cylindrical wall 2 provided with a circular orifice 3. The circular orifice may be formed by making an oval hole in the vessel wall before the wall is shaped into a cylinder. A hollow fitting 4, having a member 5 extending upwardly and outwardly from the wall 2 and a flange 6 integral with the inner end of the member 5, is secured to the wall 2, the flange being disposed in the orifice 3 with its outer edge 1 bonded by a butt weld 8 to the defining edge -9 of the orifice 3.

The flange 6 is in line with the Wall 2 and is shaped to form a cylindrical continuation thereof inwardly of the edge *9 of the orifice 3. The butt weld 8 is of the well-known type formed by filling two oppositely directed V-grooves l with weld metal, the V-grooves [0 having coinciding vertexes. The butt weld is continuous around the edgs 1 and 9 and firmly secures and seals the flange 6 to the wall 2. Flange 6 replaces some of the strength of the wall 2 lost when the orifice 3 was formed and this replacing by flange is augmented by the member 5 which reinforces the flange. While the member 5 is shown fragmentally, it will be understood that it may be part of any desired or well-known fitting appropriate for a pressure vessel.

The portion formed by the margins of the wall 2 and of the flange 6 adjacent the butt weld 8 is concave-convex and thi portion i covered 2 H on its inner concave face by a liner or. ring; I l conforming in shape to and engaging this portion. Ring ll completely overlaps the butt weld and is concavo-convex, similar to the portion it covers. Theinner' edge l2 of the ring I l is disposed outwardly of the member 5 and is fillet welded to the flange. The outer edge I3 is fillet welded to the wall 2. Ring H reinforces the wall 2 at the orifice 3 and conceals the butt weld at one side thereof, and this side of the butt weld may beground flush so that ring ll may closely engage the flange 6 and 'wall 2. This ring ll further replaces some of the strength of wall 2 lost when the orifice 3was formed.

The inner concave face Moi ring H is partly covered by anotherliner or ring l5 which is in overlapping relation to the butt weld 8, leaving part of thering H exposed at each edge of the ring [5. The outer edge iii of the ringli is fillet welded to the concave face M of ring H. The ring l5 has an inner edge ll. A segmental flange i8 extends into the vesselfrom this inner edge ll. 'There'are'two opposedflange segments with their maximum depth opposed on the longitudinal vertical center plane of the wall 2. The bottom edges IQ of the segments are in the same horizontal plane and the segments run out at their ends slightly before reaching the transverse vertical center plane of the wall 2 through the center of the orifice 3, The edge i1 is fillet welded to the concave face of the ring Il,this fillet weld beingpartly above the flange l8 as shown in Fig. 1.

The ring i5 further replaces some of the strength of wall 2 lost in forming the orifice 3. This replacing is augmented by the flange l8 which strengthens the ring l5 and further forms transverse webs, as is clearly shown in Fig. 2.

In the two other embodiments of the invention shown respectively in Figs. 4 and 5 and Figs. 6 and 7, parts corresponding to similar parts of the embodiment of Figs. 1 to 3 are indicated 'by like references with one and two accents respectively added.

In the embodiment of Figs. 4 and 5, the ring I5 is omitted and in place thereof two reinforcing members in the form of two longitudinally spaced cylindrically curved bands 20 are employed, the bands 20 being disposed on opposite sides of the orifice 3'. Each band 2|] is channelshlaped in cross section, having two flanges 21. However, bands having no flanges or having only one flange, may be employed if desired. The bands 20 and their flanges 2| extend transversely of the wall 2'. Each band has an intermediate portion -22 conforming to and engaging the overlying portion of the concave face of the ring H in overlapping relation to the butt weld 8. Each band 20 extends beyond the ring H and the extensions 23 conform to and engage the inner concave face of the wall 2'. Thus bands 20 are steppedlattheouter edge l3 of ri-ng-l'l',.providing shoulders fl "(Fig '5) The outer andirmer edges 25 and 26 of each band are fillet welded at the intermediate portion 22 to ring II and at the extensions 23 to the wall 2'.

In the embodiment of Figs. 6 and '7, the ring I5 is omitted and in place -'thereof -two reinforcing members in the form-oftwo longitudinally spaced band-s 21 are employed, the "blandsbein'g disposed on opposite sides of the orifice 3". "Each band is a cylindrically curvedstrip'.:of inetal' rectangular in cross section. The bands 21 extend transversely of the wall 2" eX-teriorly "thereof. Each band has an intermediate portion 28 over- "lying,- conforming to aridengaging 'a portion-of the convex face of the fian'ge 6" "and wan 2", and overlapping the adj acen't portion of the butt 'weidt Bands 2'! have portions 29=thlat extend beyond the ring H as is clearly-shown inFig 6. The inner-edged!) offeach band -2-'l-i-s=fil l'et welded "to'the adjacent portions of the flange 6 and Walt-2" 'and' the "outer edge 3 l "of each band 21 is "iillet wel'ded to "the "adjacent *portion "of the wall 2''.

Hands i2 0 and "2'! "reinforce the walls at the orifices of their respective vessels in the-same "n'fanner as'r'in'g15. Irreach-of the-three em'hddiments of theinvention'shownpthe wall of'the vessel is reinforced 'at *the'ori'ficetherein by a 'plura'lityof reinforcingmembers. "It'is contemrilated that these reinforcing --members will Woe proportioned so as to result in the wal1-of the vessel in each instance being at least vas strong "as itwas before the orifice was formed therein.

In "all three embodiments shown in the I drawing'f'the'b'utt' weld is "stepped fromthe' other welds, leaving "the 'butt 'weidfree 'tobe Xnayed, if desir-ed. The reinforcement of the vessel Wall at "the orifice "therein is "effected with"a "minimum cfconcentration'of weld metal at anyonepoirit and "provides maximum flexibility to "permit breathing of the'wall' of the'vessel.

While there have been 'h'ereihbefore "'des cribed Tap"rov'ed' embodiments of this invention, it "will be understood that many "and various changes and modifications in form, arrangement of parts and details of construction thereof may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and that all such changes and modifications as fall within the scope of .the appended claim are contemplated as a part of this invention.

The inverition claim'edarfd "desired to be secured by "Letters Patent' is: i A pressure vessel comprising a cylindrical wall 10 having an orifice; a hollow cylindrical fitting -,normal to said wall having a lateral flange in said orifice with its outer edge butt-welded to the dfinin'g -edge of said orifice, the portion of said vessz'et ad ia'tx ent said butt weld at each side thereof beirrg concave-convex, the concave face being inwardly of said vessel: and a plurality of members reinforcing said wall at said orifice, said portion and said members being conformed and welded 'one to another, one of said. members being an unflanged concavo-convex ring disposed within said vessel and being of slightly greater diameter than i and' overlapping said butt weld f and coriformingto and engaging said concave face, and'weld'ed rat 1 its outer and inner edges respec- -tively?to1s'aid wall' and flange, and'another of -said membersbeing a ring disposed within sai'dvessel having a strengthening flange extending at an angle from the inner edge thereof, saidiflanged firing conforming to and "engaging the concave faceofsaid first mentioned ring in overlappirig relation itosaid butt'weld and-we'lded-ajt itsouter and inner'edgesto said concave=face of said first zment-ionedrring, the flange of "said fllanged ring extendirig :inwardlyfinto said vessel.

ALFRED -W.-BRUCE. JAMES PARTI NGTO-N.

REF-ERENGES CITED g 'The'ffoll'owingreferences are of reco'rilinithe file or this patent:

UNITED-STATES PATENTS p v Date Number Name U 5 1,290,091 Cole Jan. 1-1919 -1,-' 23;309 'f-Kicklig'hter Jane, 1915 1 5 5 Hass'eet "a1. 'Apr."21,"l942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 0 1654.03 France 'Mar.30,%1})2 9 27937-13 Great Britain 1927 

